Happy Women’s History and Gender Equality Month! We’re excited to be celebrating not only women’s history and heroes throughout but also the talented and driven women at Intelligent Demand. I love Women’s History Month because it gives us an opportunity to bring center stage influential women from the past and present to be both recognized and thanked for their contributions to gender equality and women’s rights. I feel so empowered when hearing Malala Yousafzai speak, when reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, or learning how Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul among others fought for women’s right to vote. The impactful work of these women and more throughout history reached new heights in the United States in November of 2020 when Kamala Harris became the first woman to hold office as Vice President. When I watched her walk across that stage with Mary J. Blige blaring from the speakers, I was struck by the huge moment I was witnessing for not only women of this country but for the world.
In my opinion, women are the most emotionally strong beings on this planet and have been the backbone to society throughout history. This is why it’s incredibly important for women to hold leadership positions. We have a different perspective that brings balance to decisions and insight that our male counterparts will never have.
I feel fortunate to work with so many talented women at Intelligent Demand and to learn from them as I continue to grow in my career. There are 7 members of our senior leadership team, 3 of whom being women. If you’re a client of ID or are just familiar with our staff you have probably already met these incredible women but you may not know who inspires them and their advice to succeed…
Rachel Lamie, VP of Integrated Growth Strategy
What advice would you give other women just starting out in their career?
Seek out organizations that have strong females in leadership roles. The vast majority of female leaders I worked with or under in my career wanted nothing more than to champion and empower other females. Had I not had strong female influences early on in my career, I would not have had the benefit of learning through missteps they experienced (in which they steered me clear of), as well as my own to learn from and be coached on.
Are there women that inspire you and if so, who?
I am inspired by the women I am around most frequently from both a work and social perspective. While all these women have their own unique qualities, they work incredibly hard for the things they believe in, voice their opinions early and often, and always seek to leave things better than the state in which they started. My peers are always supportive of other women as well, they have never once turned their back when another woman is in need of support, nor do they complain about how unfair and old school things can be in certain settings in terms of how women are looked at. They just continue to work hard and not settle for anything less than the value they know they bring to the table. All while juggling several balls and roles outside of their work duties as well.
What has been the most pivotal point in your career so far? How did this change or impact your trajectory?
Becoming a manager of people was a pivotal point in my career for several reasons. It was the first time I had to do less of the work that got me to the place in my career in which I was at. It was also the first time I had responsibilities around the growth of an individual and their career that was not my own. As a woman in the workplace, you are constantly battling against two stereotypes: being too nice and being too difficult/tough. I went the too nice route for fear of coming off as too difficult, which resulted in my employees not having clear expectations set and left them feeling surprised when I had to deliver bad news. It left me frustrated as well that things were not being completed as I expected, and I ended up doing a lot of rework on their projects due to this. I quickly learned that being clear and confident in delivering news and expectations was not the same as being “mean”. And adopted a balanced style of management in which direct reports know what I need and expect from them, yet there is always an open door and no judgement policy to talk through projects, problems, etc. if and when support is needed.
Becky Granger, VP of Technology
What advice would you give other women just starting out in their career?
#1 – Be confident in your skills and knowledge, but also be humble and willing to listen and learn from others. No matter how smart you are, there is always more to learn.
#2 – When someone asks if you have a minute, your response should always be “Absolutely, how can I help?” no matter how stressed or overloaded you feel. These are the moments that matter.
Are there women that inspire you and if so, who?
When I think about inspirational women, I immediately think of Dr. Diana Oblinger, President Emeritus of EDUCAUSE. I worked with Diana for many years and was always impressed by her utter brilliance, her work ethic, her ability to walk onstage and speak eloquently in front of thousands of people, and so many other qualities. But what impressed me most about Diana was always her kindness – Diana routinely made me feel like I personally mattered to her, even though I was a mere staffer at her organization. I still have a number of kind notes she wrote to me over the years. I learned many things from Diana, but perhaps the most impactful was the importance of making a personal connection with your team and letting others know how much you care about them.
What has been the most pivotal point in your career so far? How did this change or impact your trajectory?
My last job introduced a key career shift for me. In previous roles I’d been very focused on IT, but my new position was not that at all. Shortly after I started, the marketing team approached me and said “Hey, you used to do IT stuff, right? Could you just take a quick look at our Eloqua? It doesn’t seem to be working in the way we think it should.” Turns out they were right, and the process of addressing the issues allowed me to apply my systems background in a new domain and really got me excited about the potential of marketing automation, setting me up nicely for an eventual move to Intelligent Demand. Always be open because you never know when the next big opportunity is waiting right around the corner!
Rachael James, VP of Media & Analytics
What advice would you give other women just starting out in their career?
I would give two pieces of advice:
#1 – Don’t be shy and don’t undervalue yourself. Too often we’re told that we’re just not good enough for whatever reason. You must believe in yourself and have confidence.
#2 – Ask for what you want. If you want time off or if you want a promotion you need to ask for it. No one in this world is going to give you things just because you think you deserve it.
Are there women that inspire you and if so, who?
This might sound fairly cliche, but my mother inspires me most. She always believed that you have to stand on your own two feet. She led by example by working for nonprofits her whole career saving many lives. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is also a huge inspiration. People who stand up for what they believe in are always inspirational to me.
What has been the most pivotal point in your career so far? How did this change or impact your trajectory?
The most pivotal moment in my career was making the transition from an individual contributor to a manager. I think I spent a lot of time early in my career, really the first six or seven years focused on just what I could do and not my ability to coach, train, and help other people be successful. I was granted the opportunity to help other people learn and grow and I found I really was passionate about that and enjoyed that. I wanted to help teams grow and people grow in their career. This made me a better manager, made me want to be a manager.
I am so grateful to finally work for a company that values women and promotes women into leadership positions. Unfortunately, not every company is like Intelligent Demand, there are still so many that are lacking gender equality. Every woman deserves equal pay and every woman deserves the opportunity to lead. If you are feeling disrespected, discouraged, or are struggling in your current position, please reach out, I’d love to help/provide resources or even just listen. I’ve been there, I hear you, and I feel your pain. To my male readers, let me provide some advice: if you are saying something to a woman that you would not say to a man then you shouldn’t be saying it. Period. End of story.
Lastly, to my fellow bad ass women! If you’re looking for employment where you feel valued, heard, and respected I encourage you to apply for our many open positions.
Thank you and Happy Women’s History Month!